Mason Crosby

Mason Crosby

Mason Crosby during the 2007 season.
No. 2     Green Bay Packers
Placekicker
Personal information
Date of birth: (1984-09-03) September 3, 1984 (age 27)
Place of birth: Lubbock, Texas
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Weight: 207 lb (94 kg)
Career information
College: Colorado
NFL Draft: 2007 / Round: 6 / Pick: 193
Debuted in 2007 for the Green Bay Packers
Career history
Green Bay Packers (2007–present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
NFC Special Teams Player of the Month (November 2007) NFL points leader with 141 (2007) Packers single-season record for most points scored (no touchdowns) (141) Packers record for longest field goal (58 yards) Super Bowl champion (XLV) Consensus All-American (2005)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 15, 2011
Field goals 130 Field goal attempts 163 Field goals % 79.8 Longest field goal 58 Stats at NFL.com

Mason Walker Crosby (born September 3, 1984) is a professional American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). During his playing days at the University of Colorado, Crosby was widely considered the best kicker in college football, as evidenced by ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.'s Top 5 Seniors by position in 2006. Crosby was a unanimous selection as a first-team All American by the Associated Press, the Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News, and Walter Camp Football Foundation for the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. He was the runner-up for the Lou Groza Award, despite being heavily favored to win.^[1]

College career

Crosby kicking a field goal in the 2006 spring game.

Crosby talking to the press.

During his senior season at Colorado, Crosby became the first player in Big 12 Conference history to be named player of the week eight times.^[2] In late 2006, he also became Colorado's all-time leading scorer, with 308 career points. The previous record holder was Eric Bieniemy (1987–1990) with 254.

While enrolled at Colorado, Crosby displayed extraordinary leg strength, making a school record 60-yard field goal against Iowa State in 2004. Crosby’s 58-yard field goal against Miami in 2005 was the longest ever kicked in NCAA Division I-A football at sea-level without a tee.^[3] In all, Crosby holds 31 school records. Crosby connected on 66 of 88 field goals in total during his college career, and 30 of 34 inside 40 yards.^[1]

During college, Crosby developed a reputation for kicking in the clutch, making 12 of 13 field goals in the fourth quarter, and a perfect 10-10 in the final 8½ minutes of games. This bent was most evident when Crosby played rival Colorado State University, against which Crosby made kicks of 55 (2004), 48, and 47 yards (2005) in consecutive years to win the Rocky Mountain Showdown.^{[citation needed]}

Crosby also served as the Buffaloes' kickoff specialist, where his knack for forcing touchbacks after touchdowns made him a fan favorite. Overall, 138 of Crosby's 203 career kickoffs were touchbacks, including an 87-yard kickoff touchback from the 20-yard-line against Iowa State in 2004.^[1] The Sporting News named Crosby to its All-Decade team for the first nine years of the 2000s.^[4]

Statistics

Note: Average Starting Yardline: Onsides, short squibs and free kicks are omitted in figuring the above - out-of-bounds are not.

Collegiate awards

• 2005
  • Walter Camp All-American^[5]
  • Lou Groza Award runner-up
• 2006
  • Walter Camp All-American^[5]
  • All-Big 12 Conference^[5]

Professional career

Green Bay Packers

Crosby was chosen by the Green Bay Packers with the 19th pick of the sixth round (193rd overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft, the last of three consecutive picks for the Packers, and the third kicker overall. Crosby entered training camp in a battle with incumbent placekicker Dave Rayner. During Green Bay's first pre-season game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Crosby kicked a 52-yard field goal, the longest field goal in the history of Heinz Field. Crosby won the starting job during the final roster cut.

In his first regular season game, Crosby converted all three field goals he attempted, including a 53-yarder and a 42-yard kick with two seconds left on the clock to help the Packers defeat the visiting Philadelphia Eagles. The kick was the first game-winner by a rookie on opening weekend since 1979 (when Matt Bahr achieved the same feat). Crosby was the first player in NFL history to kick a 50-yard field goal and a game-winning field goal with under a minute remaining in his NFL debut.^[6] Crosby was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (the first rookie kicker to receive this honor on opening weekend).^[7]

Crosby was awarded the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November 2007. He led all NFL kickers with 54 points and tied for the lead with 12 field goals as the Packers posted a 4-1 mark. Crosby converted 12 of 15 field goals during November and was a perfect 18-for-18 on PATs. He had at least one field goal in every game, including four in the Week 9 win at Kansas City. His longest field goal of the month was a 52-yarder in the Week 13 contest at Dallas.^[8] For the 2007 season, Crosby led the NFL with 130 points scored and his 24 field goals ranked first in the NFC. Crosby finished second for most points scored in a season by a rookie (Kevin Butler had 144 points for Chicago in 1985). Crosby finished 2007 with the highest-scoring season by a kicker in franchise history and third-highest season point total by any Packers player.^[9]

In the first game of the 2010 regular season against the Philadelphia Eagles, Crosby kicked a field goal from 56 yards in the last seconds of the first half, his career long and a franchise record. He equaled this record distance on October 9, 2011 in the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons.

On July 27, 2011, the Packers re-signed Crosby to a 5-year, $14 million deal.^[10]

On October 23, 2011, Crosby set the franchise record when he drilled a 58-yard field goal in the third quarter as part of a four-field-goal game. The 58 yard field goal had about 7 yards to spare. He also was good from 39, 45 and 24 yards and has made all 15 of his field goals as of week 9.^[11]

Professional awards

• 2007
  • NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 1)^[12]
  • NFC Special Teams Player of the Month (November)^[13]

• 2010
  • NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 1)^[14]

• 2011
  • NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Weeks 5 and 7)^[14]

Personal information

Crosby graduated in December 2006 from the University of Colorado, majoring in communication. He attended Georgetown High School in Texas, where he played football and soccer. He is a Houston Astros fan and an avid golfer. Mason's father, Jim, was a running back in college for the UTEP Miners and graduated from Texas Tech. Crosby married the former Molly Ackerman on June 28, 2008.^[15]

Related Pages

• University of Colorado at Boulder
• Colorado Buffaloes
• Colorado Buffaloes football
• 2005 Colorado Buffaloes football team
• 2006 Colorado Buffaloes football team

References

External links

• Green Bay Packers bio